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imho, SSDs are well worth the extra cost for the extra performance you get.But, given reports of batch (or similar duration within warranty) failures, the chance of the 2nd SSD failing when the first has done may be quite high. And all you get with the RAID is protection from the drive failure.

I would have one SSD & one HDD. I would set up frequent image backups from the SSD to the HDD. You can then keep some of the older backups and some of the more recent ones, thereby giving extra protection against viruses, accidental deletions, software installation that screws your system etc.

If you feel you really must get the boost an SSD provides, I think Dormouse's suggestion is a good one. I'd go:

SSD = System (i.e. boot + apps)HDD1 = UserDataHDD2 = Backups

Boot from the SSD and only keep your OS and apps on it. Tune it and tweak it until you've got it exactly the way you want it. Then image it over to HDD1. Re-image (as soon as it's convenient) after any major changes. And keep two previous boot disk images.

Use HDD1 as your regular data storage space.

Backup HDD1 (including boot images) to HDD2 using the usual eclectic mix of synchronization, backup, and image strategies. Mix & match to get the best fit for what's being backed up. (Maybe not an ideal approach for the average guy on the street. But that ain't us, so no worries. We can handle a little extra complexity in order to get far better efficiency and reliability out of our backup plan. )

FWIW I'm synchronizing more often than I'm doing traditional backups these days. I like having two immediately usable copies of my files. And my data footprint is now big enough that what I think of as a traditional backup simply takes too long and is too inefficient. Plus, I really don't trust most backup software. It's almost a truism that the one time you absolutely need to get something restored, your backup program will abort about half way through with an "archive corrupted - unable to restore" message.

I've seen that happen with freebie home and thousand+ dollar enterprise backup software...

Not to say I no longer set up 'old style' backups. Many of my clients need to have an 'approved list' backup program installed on their network for insurance purposes or industry "compliance" regulations. But more often than not, it's the simple copies and synchronized directories stored on a second drive that saved the day. That's how cloud backups basically work. And that's where it will all be going in a few more years anyway.

FWIW I'm synchronizing more often than I'm doing traditional backups these days. I like having two immediately usable copies of my files. And my data footprint is now big enough that what I think of as a traditional backup simply takes too long and is too inefficient. Plus, I really don't trust most backup software. It's almost a truism that the one time you absolutely need to get something restored, your backup program will abort about half way through with an "archive corrupted - unable to restore" message.

I can't emphasize that enough. I was severely harmed with "archive corrupted", specifically by Acronis TrueImage. I ditched in favor of Cobian Backup (freeware). It can do incremental/differential/full backups with usual plain files.

Of course it won't save you from reinstalling all your apps so you can also do an image backup, but I wouldn't trust it alone to handle all my file backup.

Just wanted to point out that while the error does look ominous...It's not necessarily damning. Get a copy of the manufacturer's diagnostic boot CD, and see what it says first.

I have seen disk errors flood logs simply because of a driver hiccup. The first time it happened I too had a similar reaction. However. The box in question (My SuperMicro server), has continued to run just fine on the very same drives for several years (about 4) after the initial incident.

Best I can tell the Virtual Servers occasionally get into a pissing contest with the host machine, which causes the logs to get flooded with disk events until the next reboot. Damn strange, but I still do an offline diag on the drives now and then just to be sure all is O-Tay.

Just wanted to point out that while the error does look ominous...It's not necessarily damning. Get a copy of the manufacturer's diagnostic boot CD, and see what it says first.

I have seen disk errors flood logs simply because of a driver hiccup. The first time it happened I too had a similar reaction. However. The box in question (My SuperMicro server), has continued to run just fine on the very same drives for several years (about 4) after the initial incident.

Best I can tell the Virtual Servers occasionally get into a pissing contest with the host machine, which causes the logs to get flooded with disk events until the next reboot. Damn strange, but I still do an offline diag on the drives now and then just to be sure all is O-Tay.

I tried SeaTools, but the S.M.A.R.T. tests wouldn't run.

I've also rebooted once. Same error occurs.

I'll see if I can get some other diagnostic tools to work. The Seagate tools don't seem to want to run now for some reason...

Hm... if SeaTools wont run on a SeaGate HDD (assuming it is th latest version...), that would indeed be a bad sign. Hitachi has a good one for doing any (or oddball) drives, but there's enough propriatery error checks/codes to make cross brand testing a bit iffy.

Perhapps best to stop screwing with it until everythng is safely backed up. (Yes, a last minute quicky - for the really critical stuff - is recommended if the ship is sinking slowly enough)

I figure a day or 2 of down time and buying a couple new drives is a lot cheaper than being a day short of a backup with 90% of the work done for a client since the last backup, and having to go hat in hand, begging for time and forgiveness...

Thread has been eerily quiet for a while now, hasn't it. Hope he skipped the spill vodka in computer, and jump out window steps.

Things all went well. I'm now configuring Outlook. If it weren't early afternoon, I'd definitely be needing some heavy pours of vodka to get this done... I really just can't stand configuring endless email accounts and farting around with PST files.

I'm not sure I like putting my Archive.pst on an external drive, but it's several GB, and with a 128 GB SSD, I'm not really keen to have it there.

A few more things to stick on here though... Man... I hate installing software like this... I really wish Windows would allow an XCOPY OS deployment. Sigh...